Latest Flight Of Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyers Detect, Engage Simulated Threat In First Tests Of Newly Upgraded Weapon System
MOORESTOWN, NJ, April 3rd, 2000 -- Two U.S. Navy Aegis-equipped destroyers this past week successfully detected and engaged "hostile" drone targets, verifying the performance of the ships' upgraded Aegis weapon system - designated Baseline 6 Phase 1 by the U.S. Navy and the system's manufacturer, Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems-Moorestown. The tests were performed within seven days of one another as part of the TRIAL BRAVO exercises by the first two ships in a new "flight" of Aegis-equipped Arleigh Burke-class destroyers -- Oscar Austin (DDG 79) and Roosevelt (DDG 80). The two ships were tested in the Gulf of Maine and the Gulf of Mexico, respectively. TRIAL BRAVO is part of a new ship's construction evaluation conducted in part by the shipbuilder and the U.S. Navy to ensure that the ship and its systems are operating as expected. Oscar Austin was built by Bath Iron Works (BIW) of Bath, Maine, a subsidiary of General Dynamics Corporation. Roosevelt was built by Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss. Roosevelt's test took place this morning; Oscar Austin's test was held on March 22.
This week's test of the Aegis weapon system is important because Baseline 6 Phase 1 includes significant commercial technology and equipment - called commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) by the electronics industry - which is integrated with traditional equipment manufactured to "military specifications." The commercial equipment introduced into Baseline 6 Phase 1 includes computers, servers, routers, display systems and other peripheral equipment.
The Navy has identified the introduction of COTS equipment as an important element of upgrading existing systems and in the development of new systems. COTS equipment is less expensive and more widely available than equipment produced to exacting military specifications because it has broader use in the commercial world.
The introduction of COTS equipment into Navy systems ensures that the systems it fields employ the most modern, reliable equipment available to industry while also benefiting from reduced costs offered by higher commercial production rates.
"This initial test of the Baseline 6 Phase 1 Aegis weapon system is an important step in verifying the integration and performance of COTS equipment," said Fred P. Moosally, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin NE&SS-Moorestown. "We are pleased to continue to upgrade, improve and evolve the Aegis weapon system to better protect the men and women who serve on Aegis ships."
The successful tests onboard Oscar Austin and Roosevelt are the first of a series of evaluations that will demonstrate performance of a COTS-based Aegis weapon system. Verifying the performance of ships equipped with Baseline 6 Phase 1 Aegis systems is a stepping stone to the next-generation system - Baseline 6 Phase 3 - which incorporates cooperative engagement capability (CEC) and area tactical ballistic missile defense (TBMD) capability into new-construction destroyers.
Baseline 6 Phase I CEC functionality is planned to be demonstrated in the May 2000 timeframe. CEC allows ships and aircraft to share sensor and targeting information, enabling one ship to fire a missile against a target being tracked by another ship. This networking of sensors provides improved tracking capability against all types of air and missile targets.
NE&SS-Moorestown is one of six major operating sites in the Lockheed Martin NE&SS business segment. NE&SS provides surface ship and submarine combat systems, antisubmarine warfare and ocean surveillance systems, missile launching systems, radar and sensor systems, ship systems integration services and other advanced systems and services to customers worldwide. It is the largest business organization in the Lockheed Martin Systems Integration business area.
Jim Tierney, NE&SS-Moorestown, 856.722.5848; jim.g.tierney@lmco.com
Rich Palmay, NE&SS-Moorestown, 856.722.2708; richard.l.palmay@lmco.com
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
